


The Life and Times of Alexander James Lockhart

by thegoodmarble



Category: The Good Fight (TV), The Good Wife (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Family, Friendship, Kid!Fic, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-03
Updated: 2018-06-12
Packaged: 2019-05-17 21:44:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,953
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14839716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thegoodmarble/pseuds/thegoodmarble
Summary: An alternate universe where Diane Lockhart is a single mom and Will is always the best friend she will ever have. And yes, Kurt McVeigh will be in this alternate universe as well. *Please see note at the beginning of the first chapter for further information.





	1. Big Yellow Ducks and Michael Jordan

**Author's Note:**

> This was a story that was published under a different title and a different username nearly five years ago. This was supposed to be a multichapter story but the title has been changed and instead, it will be a series of one shots within the same alternate universe. Hopefully you guys will enjoy getting to know Alex and his world!

“Mr. Gardner?”

Will looked up from the brief he was reading, feet covered in black socks propped up on his coffee table. One hand clutched a set of papers while the other was rolling an old baseball on his thigh. He didn’t say anything and simply gave the girl a questioning look.

“It’s Ms. Lockhart on line one,” she said simply, “She said you weren’t answering your phone.”

“Oh, damn,” he tossed the papers on the table and got up, leaving his shoes by his chair and went to his desk, “I’ll take it. I think my phone is in my drawer on silent.”

“I told her,” the younger woman smirked, “Line one.”

“Thanks,” Will said, plopping himself down behind his desk and picked up his receiver, “I didn’t expect to hear from you today.”

He smirked when he heard the sound of a baby crying in the background.

“I may never come back,” Diane growled from the other end.

“Ah, come on, don’t be like that,” Will drawled, “What, you like the baby that much?”

He was expecting her to laugh but instead he heard something that sounded suspiciously like a mumbled _not at the moment_ coming from her end. He sat up, frowning and dropped his ball on his desk—his attention piqued.

Will made sure there was nobody near the doors of his office before speaking, “Hey? You okay?”

“Is it possible for you to leave work right now?” Diane asked, calmly—almost eerily calm especially with a wailing infant in the background.

He pulled his phone out from his drawer, ignoring the notifications of five missed calls from her and checked the time and his schedule. It was nearly the end of the day and his last meeting had been rescheduled for later in the week. He had Julius working as the managing partner and his right hand for the duration of Diane maternity leave. Will was contented that Julius been able to handle keeping the firm fairly well without him having to worry about whether he would gun for Diane’s empty seat.

“I think so,” Will said, distractedly. “Julius can handle things from here. Anything you need?”

She didn’t answer right away, which made him frown again and maybe worry a little bit.

“Hey, I’m serious,” he said quietly, “Everything okay there?”

“I’m fine,” she answered vaguely.

Will stood up, taking along the receiver with him and went to get his shoes. He held his phone pressed to his ear with his shoulder and started putting his shoes back on, “Is Alex—”

“He’s fine...” she said quickly, “He won’t stop crying for no reason. I just...I need,” she paused with an audible puff of air passing her lips, “Can you come over?”

Will nodded, “Okay. Yeah, I’ll be right over.”

“Thank you,” Diane murmured through the line before hanging up abruptly.

He finished putting his shoes on, frowning as he took the receiver from his shoulder and looked at it. He wasn’t entirely sure what she needed but he could sense she was definitely not fine. She’d had the baby just a little over a month ago and in that time, Will had come by her house to visit thrice. In between keeping the firm running while having Julius as his second, it had taken a lot of adjusting despite the full two months Diane had taken in training him to help ease the transition. 

There hadn’t been many chances to visit and for the most part, Will had been trying to keep his distance. He knew from experience with his sister and her baby how vulnerable newborns were and he had taken her warnings to heart when his niece had been brought into the world. He was especially careful around Diane’s son, not even letting himself hold him when he came to visit them at home in fear he’d get the baby sick. 

Will had been the second one to hold Alexander James Lockhart after his mother when he was born and while he wasn’t willing to say it out loud, he already had a particular attachment to the baby boy.

Smiling at the thought of seeing his partner and visiting his godchild—a position which Will had lobbied hard for and won, besting out her old school chum Lyle and her brother—Will had his assistant call ahead for food to take with him from the restaurant he and Diane liked best. It was a Friday and thank god for weekends because Will was really looking forward to starting it off with his best friend.

He wasn’t sure if he was going to tell her but he’d been missing her a lot lately.

****

**  
o0o  
**

Diane opened the front door before he could knock, almost as if she had been pacing just inside waiting for him to arrive. She had an unusual fragile composure on her face as she gestured for him to come inside. He smiled in greeting, carrying two bags of takeout from their restaurant and sidestepped as she moved to close the door.

The baby was still crying and immediately, his curiosity was roused once more.

She closed the door with a click and she leaned against it, dropping her head down to her chest and let her hair fall over around her face. He took a moment to observe her—she was dressed in an oversized white t-shirt that was slouched on one shoulder and a pair of navy blue silk pajama bottoms and his curiosity was overtaken by concern. This was as defeated as he had ever seen her and he’d seen her grapple through a child murder case in civil court that left her in tears and drunk on his porch.

She murmured something in French under her breath.

“Diane?” he asked, tilting his head to the side.

She stood straighter and moved away from the door, pushing her hair back from her face and tucked them behind her ear. There were heavy shadows under her eyes and he was sure there was a slight tremble to her fingers when she reached up to tuck her hair back.

“He won’t stop crying,” she said, her voice thick and brittle. “It’s either he’s sick or...” she shrugged in a way that seemed to indicate she was giving up. 

Will watched her for a moment before he turned and looked around the brownstone. It looked relatively the same save for the few signs of a newborn being in the home. There were a couple of baskets of neatly folded laundry in the living area and a clean pair of baby bottles on the coffee table. The baby’s crying was crisp and loud and for a moment Will wondered where he could be.

“He’s upstairs,” she mumbled then eyed his offering then waved a baby monitor at him. “You can take those to the kitchen. I’ll be upstairs.”

“Oh, okay,” he nodded and zipped off into the kitchen. He didn’t bother looking around and instead just placed the bags of food on the island before taking the backstairs to the second floor of the home. He knew the house pretty well and even more so after having had the nursery put together that was attached to Diane’s bedroom.

The room had not changed at all since he’d last been in there when he visited. The soft baby blue walls with white trimmings were of the softest pastel. The soft cream colored curtains were pull back and the changing table had a few additional items since the baby’s arrival but it was still had that new look to it. 

In one corner of the room, there was a giant yellow duck so big it’s head was nearly brushing the ceiling—a gift from one very amused David Lee. Why a duck? Nobody was sure but it sang when it’s beak was poked and sometimes Will liked to poke it just to make it sing over and over again which was something the baby seemed to like too.

Will could see the numerous presents that had been brought to the hospital and the house. Well wishers mostly from colleagues and associates that were surely trying to suck up to their name partner. There were presents from friends and family too but he mostly knew about the work-related gifts, including that of Cary Agos who spared no expense giving baby Alex a Tiffany Love Teddy bear which was in his crib at the far corner with him. It was very much a Cary move which earned a laugh from both Will and Diane at the hospital. The boy just couldn’t help himself.

Julius Cain’s present had been a really expensive but something he deemed worth every penny—a product he could personally attest to being a father of four and counting—a light blue Nursery Works Sleepytime luxury rocker with the softest and plushest cushion. It was perfect for sitting and rocking a crying infant to sleep and matched the room beautifully. 

Will’s present had been the remodeling of the entire guestroom and it’s transformation into a nursery. He had been very much involved with the process along with Diane having hired the city’s top decorator to make sure his partner didn’t have to stress about the matter of the baby’s room. Of course, it only fueled the rumors of Will being the father of the child but he didn’t care. He wasn’t sure if he was actually going to start a family of his own someday but he didn’t mind practicing on how to spoil little ones until he had his own. He very much enjoyed that he was going to be able to experience babies and children with Diane’s progeny.

Smiling at the thought, Will found her in the nursery easily, standing by the crib with her hands clutching at the rails. The baby’s crying was louder in the room than it had been through the monitor and it was a god-awful sound that bounced around the walls with a vengeance. He stood next to Diane, looking down at a very unhappy infant, his face red and splotchy with tears and anguish.

“Did you check him for a fever?” Will asked, slipping off his suit jacket and undoing his tie absently. He made no comment on the unusual look of disarray she was sporting and instead, quietly draped his coat on the cushioned chair that was by the crib. He avoided looking at her at all, somewhat sure that even a look of concern on his face would send the wrong message.

He was all too familiar with the known wrath of a tired new mother and Diane was looking every bit of that at the moment.

“I checked,” she said tightly, “Of course I checked him. He’s my child.” She shot him a baleful look, “He feels warm but he has been screaming since he woke up...and I just don’t know.”

Will reached out and softly pressed his palm against the infant’s head, adjusting his hand when he realized his big hand was likely to cover half the baby’s face if he didn’t. He frowned, trying to discern if the warmth was a fever or natural body heat from an agitated baby.

He looked at her for a moment before leaning down and picked up the baby, ignoring the piercing wail with barely a wince. He ran his palm over the baby’s back and stuck two fingers in the collar of his onesie to feel his skin.

“Did you take his temperature with your hand or the thermometer?” he asked.

She looked at him for a moment, frowning then struggled to bite back an angry retort, “I did. No fever but that was a while ago.” 

Will nodded, “Well...doesn’t seem like a fever and his butt is not wet. I’m sure you tried to feed him?”

“He ate, burped and spit up,” she listed tiredly. 

“He’s only warm where his body was on the crib,” he pointed out, adjusting his hold so the baby was lying right against his shoulder, still crying hoarsely.

“What if he _is_ sick?” Diane asked, biting her bottom lip. “He’s got a clean diaper, he doesn’t have a fever, he isn’t hungry...what if it’s an ear infection? Or a tummy ache? Or—”

He looked at her, raising an eyebrow as he slowly swayed in place with the baby, “Wanna take him to the hospital? I have my car out front.”

“I can’t be one of those frantic mothers who panics over every little thing,” she muttered, shaking her head slightly and ran a hand through her hair. Her eyes were red and raw and Will was concerned all over again _for her_. She looked so, _so_ tired.

“Diane...”

“There has to be something wrong with him,” she sighed, “He...won’t stop crying.”

He arched his eyebrows, “You don’t want him to be sick, right?”

“No,” she said, looking alarmed, “Of course not! I want him to stop crying!” She ran her fingers over her lips, looking at her son sadly. “He has been crying...and he won’t stop,” her voice was hoarse as if she’d been the one crying all afternoon. “I feel like I can’t remember not ever having a screaming baby, Will.”

Will frowned, sympathy washing over him. Instinctively, he held his hand over the crown of the baby’s head carefully, trying in his own way to soothe the baby. Diane watched him and when the crying didn’t cease, she turned and sat heavily on the chair where his discarded tie and jacket were. She held her forehead in her palm and her hair fell from behind her ears, hiding her face.

“I have tried everything,” she said quietly, “He is not hungry...he’s not cold. The bath did nothing to soothe him. I took him outside to the garden in the back. The swing didn’t help one bit...he just keeps crying,” she said shakily, “He is _so_ sweet when he’s happy but he is fussy and he doesn’t seem to sleep very much. Or doesn’t want to. _I don’t know_.”

Will adjusted his hold on the baby, laying him against his folded arm and tried to get his attention by running a finger on the side of his cheek. The baby turned his head into his chest, refusing to engage and screamed a little louder.

“He’s been crying like this all afternoon?” he asked, arching an eyebrow.

Diane nodded miserably, “The nanny helped me lay him down for a nap. He woke up screaming and she was gone. I’ve been trying to calm him ever since...I was tempted to call her back but she’s got grandchildren of her own and I’m just...I can’t calm him down.” 

Will sighed, “He’s probably just unhappy.”

“I can see that,” she retorted angrily, “He is tired now. He was screaming louder before. I still don’t know what is bothering him. I checked him for bug bites, rashes, scratches...I don’t know what I’m doing wrong,” she said desperately. “He is just a colicky baby, I think? But I am just so...overwhelmed,” she looked pained as she said that, “I am so overwhelmed, Will...and I’m afraid.”

He looked at the child in his arms and then his mother, the picture of absolute misery. He gave up trying to get the baby’s attention and walked over to the rocker.

“Hey, come here,” he told Diane and she looked up, her cheeks suspiciously red and her eyes even redder than before, “Come on, take him.”

“I can’t,” Diane shook her head miserably, crouched forward in her seat with her arms around her stomach tightly.

“Diane.”

“Please,” she said quietly, biting her bottom lip and her eyes shined with tears. “I...god, Will. I _want_ to shake him. I want to scream at him and ask him what he wants. I want to cry...I can’t hold him right now, Will,” she confessed, her words frightening and sad all at the same time.

Will swallowed hard and took a step back, cradling the baby even more securely before easing himself down on the rocker. He sank down into the cushions and gave Diane a small understanding nod. She gave him a sad look before turning away and standing up, arms still wrapped around her stomach as she left the room quietly.

He sighed, watching her leave and looked down at the crying baby, “You gotta give your mom a break, little man.” He decided to give her a moment alone and sat back, rocking the chair lightly as he looked down at Alex, “She’s trying really hard. You’re making her sad, buddy.” He tilted his head at him as he continued to cry, “And she was so excited to see you too...and you terrified her because you were a half a month late and you wouldn’t come out. What’s up with that, huh?”

It was then he remembered something his mother used to do when his sister’s daughter was a newborn. His niece had been the same—colicky and she had times when she just would not stop crying and on a particularly miserable day, her mom seemed to simply pass out. It left a very panicked new father wailing on the phone to his mother-in-law so Will had been dragged along by his mother to come to their house and help. His mother had simply taken the crying baby in her arms and ran the tip of her finger very lightly over the bridge of the baby’s nose. She sat with the baby and continued doing it until the baby started to calm down and simply fell asleep after the repeated gentle touches.

Will smiled, remembering how his mother smiled at him and told him she’d done the exact same thing to him and his sisters when they were babies. He adjusted the baby in his arms and said quietly, “Let’s see how it works on you, huh?” 

Gently, he ran his fingertip from his forehead down to the tip of his nose. His touch was barely there, ghosting over the soft warm skin of the infant. He did his best not to breathe too heavily to avoid jostling the bundle in his arms, cuddling him closely.

“Come on, little guy,” he breathed. “Your mom is a mess and I need you to be nicer to her,” he smiled, continuing the gesture and tried his best not to hurry and be patient. The baby, like his mother, was stubborn but Will could match her well enough so he assumed he could do the same with an infant. 

He could see the baby was trying hard to continue his protests but Will could see the repeated touches were beginning to take effect on him. His little eyes would flutter every time Will ran his finger from the top of his nose down to the tip, distracting him enough to falter in his cries.

Will held his breath, watching with amazement as the fluttering turned to long blinks. Then slowly, the drawn out blinking became a slow rise and fall of his eyelids until he finally closed his eyes and seemed to drift off. He froze, trying hard not to jostle the rocker and stared at the little tyke in wonder. His eyes were closed and his breathing was evening out, his little chest rising and falling under his soft cute little yellow onesie.

He counted to one hundred in his mind before he let himself relax and cautiously hoped Alex had decided to give his mother her much needed break. He waited another minute or so before finally standing up very carefully and stood in the middle of the nursery.

It was then when Diane walked back into the room, looking at him with defeat and shame, lips in a curved thin line that could or could not have been a relieved smile or a weak attempt not to burst into tears. He looked down at the baby, expecting him to be asleep only to see that the little one had opened his eyes once more which caused Will to freeze and hold his breath. The baby simply blinked slowly at him and laid in his arms, starting at him with those big round eyes of his.

He looked up to see Diane edging into the room, her steps unsure and probably not even daring to breathe. He made his way towards her, stopping by the changing table and gave her a neutral look.

She looked away, quietly taking a deep breath and placed a fresh bottle of milk on the table. She looked at her baby, her blue eyes wide. “He stopped,” she breathed out in a whisper, “You...he stopped crying.”

Diane sounded so grateful yet so beaten and it almost broke Will’s heart. He didn’t say anything—he didn’t know if there was anything he could say—and he wasn’t sure what his partner’s mental state at the moment was ready for. He didn’t even know what head space she was in but there was a fragility about her that was just so unusual of her that it scared him just a little bit.

Not knowing whether to comfort her or make light of the situation, Will reached for the bottle of milk she had prepared for the baby. He uncapped it and gently tried to coax the little one into taking the bottle. Alex hesitated only for a moment before latching on, calmly drinking his bottle and blinked at him lazily. His cheeks were beginning to lose the angry redness he was sporting during his tantrum and it was only then Will noticed he had gotten a little bigger since he’d last held him—growing fast, as infants tended to do. He couldn’t help but be amazed.

Alex kicked lightly, hitting Will in the arm with a fairly strong nudge for someone so little.

“Gee, you’re welcome,” he teased lightly, smiling widely at Diane and she gave him a feeble movement of her lips that may have been a smile. He looked at her, nodding towards the door. “Go splash some water on your face...or take a shower, if you want,” he told her gently. “Let yourself breathe...then come back and hold your baby.”

She nodded stiffly and turned to leave the room once more. She took one last look at them and he nodded at her, trying to be as reassuring as possible then tilted his head towards the door. 

Once his mother was gone, he settled back down on the rocking chair and began a gentle rhythm in the seat. Will looked down at the baby boy and raised his eyebrows at him, “Alright, bud. It’s just you and me. And we got a few things to talk about.”

He ran a finger gently over one cheek, “I’ve seen your mama come up against the worst this city has to offer. Big bad guys...men twice her size and all kinds of ugly.” He playfully made a face even though he knew it would be a while before he would be getting laughter in exchange for his silliness. “She doesn’t even blink and she goes after them with everything she’s got and you know what? I’ve never seen her afraid, not once...she’s the toughest, strongest woman I know.” 

Will looked up at the ceiling, smiling at the painted yellow and gold stars against the darker blue to mimic the night sky then returned his attention towards the newborn, “But you...you’ve been here a month and she’s about ready to tap out.” He tried to look stern but the infant simply continued suckling his bottle contentedly. 

Chuckling to himself, he shook his head as if the baby could understand him. “See, that’s probably kind of funny to you. And maybe someday, it will be funny to her...but you gotta stop being mean to your mom. She’s the only mom you’re gonna have and you know what? She’s going to be the best mom, you’ll see.”

Will gave him a reassuring smile, “She loves you and she’s loved you for a very long time. So, how about you do me a favor, huh? Don’t go making her sad anymore because it _really_ sucks when your mom is sad.” He adjusted him lightly as he held him and made sure the bottle was properly positioned, “So how about it?” He smiled widely when Alex blinked at him innocently, “Yeah, I think we have a deal.”

He settled back in the rocking chair, smiling down at his godson and his heart filled with a sudden burst of warmth.

****

**  
o0o  
**

Will didn’t bother checking how long Diane was gone but when she came back into the room, half the bottle was finished and the baby had a belly full of his mother’s milk. She looked a little better though her eyes were still red. She had dressed herself in a soft pink shirt and light blue cotton pajama bottoms. Her wet hair was brushed back from her face and everything about her just looked a little younger and vulnerable, it caught him by surprise.

He stood up, leaving the bottle on the rocker and looked at her expectantly. She looked down at her child, almost as if she was afraid of him. She compressed her lips and he studied her narrowly for a moment before passing over her son to her carefully.

“He’s full and I burped him already,” he murmured. “He’s okay.”

Diane took him and held him close, cradling her son in her arms so naturally as if she had been doing it her whole life. The infant moved his head slightly, turning his face into her breasts and she held her breath, afraid he would start crying again. When he didn’t, she reached up and slowly ran a fingertip along his cheek, her touch gentle and soft against his delicate skin.

When the baby still didn’t fuss and simply settled in her arms, she let out an exhausted smile, relief flooding her tired features which made Will smile as well. He motioned towards the rocker and she acquiesced wordlessly, sitting down carefully with her baby in her arms.

She sighed and ran her hand over his brow, smoothing the soft downy hair on the crown of his head and pressed a soft kiss against his cheek. She leaned back and there was a stark mask of guilty pain written all over her face, she blinked back the tears that seemed to come rushing back again.

“I wanted to shake him,” she muttered, ashamed. “I called you, Will...I was going out of my mind. I really thought if I touched him, I’d do something. I was scared...I was scared I’d hold him too tight and snap his neck,” she whispered hoarsely, “He wouldn’t stop...he wouldn’t calm down, not even for one second and I am so tired...god, how could I feel so awful about my own child?” she asked brokenly, “I can’t believe I thought those things about him...that I’m even saying it out loud.”

Will crouched down, settling on the ground next to the rocker and she looked at him, grief, guilt and shame all over her face. She swallowed hard, her eyes shining with unshed tears.

“I love him, Will...so much,” she pleaded, an almost hysterical desperation laced into her words, “But I almost thought I hated him.”

He tilted his head at her, nodding slowly for a moment and planted his butt down on the ground by her feet. He placed a hand on her knee, moving his arm along as she sat on the rocking chair with her son.

“Kids,” he said gruffly, “Kids will do that to you.”

He remembered watching his sister send her daughter up to her room just to make sure she wasn’t within range and Sarah wanted so badly to hit her. He remembered how good his niece was at winding his sister up to the point of violence which meant the girl was often sent up to her room. It wasn’t new to him—he’d seen how desperately Sarah tried to hold on to her sanity with her own child. 

“You wouldn’t hurt him, Diane,” he said softly, “You just needed a break.”

“I’m supposed to sense why he’s crying,” she whispered sadly, “I hear women talk about mothers knowing what each little cry means but I...I just don’t know _all_ of them. A lot of times I’m wrong and I feel like I’m just groping blindly in the dark,” her voice broke. “He depends on me to know these things...to take care of him. But how can I when I don’t feel like I even know what I’m doing?”

“Diane—”

“I am serious, Will,” she said, looking at him with those defeated, overwhelmed _tired_ eyes. “I have never felt so...incompetent in my entire life. I am unsure of everything...and I know this was going to be hard but I didn’t...I didn’t know it would be _this_ hard!” She blinked back her tears fiercely, “I miss my mother terribly,” she admitted in a small voice. 

“I haven’t missed my mother like this in a very long time...but ever since I found out about I was pregnant? I haven’t stopped thinking about her...and going through this now just makes me miss her so much more.” She looked distraught, “I should have a mother to call for these things...for when I don’t know what to do,” she bit the inside of her cheek, looking away from her impromptu confessor sadly. “I don’t have anyone, Will.”

Will squeezed her knee gently and leaned his head against the side of her leg, “Hey, you have me.”

Her shoulders shook slightly and she closed her eyes, “I know...and I appreciate that but I need help, Will...I can’t do this alone.”

“You aren’t alone,” Will insisted, patting her knee with his hand and looked up at her kindly. “You’ve got me. And you have the guys at the firm. Hell, even Kalinda—and I’m not even sure she likes kids but she got him a baseball bat already.”

Diane gave him a sad smile, “I need someone who knows what to do.” She sniffled, “Because I honestly don’t and it’s terrifying. I’m so scared I’m hurting him more than I am taking care of him and it makes me wonder if I made the right choice doing this...”

“Hey,” he frowned, “You’re not saying—”

“I love him,” she said, her tongue darting out to wet her lips for a moment, “I love him _so much_ and I honestly cannot imagine my life without him, but he deserves a good mother.”

“You are a good mother,” Will pressed, desperately trying to make her listen to him. “You are a _great_ mom. The fact that you are this terrified? The fact that you care about what is good for him? That’s what a mother is, Diane...and you are thinking about him. He’s been your priority ever since you found out you were pregnant. Don’t sell yourself short because you’re having a bad day.”

“I’m scared...” she whispered, “I’m scared I’ve done irreparable damage bringing him into this world alone, Will. A boy needs a father.”

He smiled a little, shaking his head lightly. “By my count,” he started. “He’s got about...four right now. You got me and Julius—who’s got like fifty kids so this guy probably knows what he’s doing, huh? And you have David—” he made a face, “Okay, maybe he’s more a weird uncle than a dad. And then there’s Eli? Yeah, Eli’s got a kid and she’s a freaking livewire so you know, Eli’s got experience with the really rowdy kids—you’ve got that covered if Alex turns out to be a little wild boy.”

Diane smiled through her tears, “Stop it. I’m serious, Will.”

“And so am I,” he responded honestly. “And you know what? The way he’s been asking around, I think Cary is up for pitching in too but I think he’s hoping the kid will get him the fast track to partnership _but_ that means like instant babysitter right there, see?”

“Oh, no,” she groaned, “Not Cary. Please. I don’t need rumors of me sleeping with my associate and having him father my child!”

Will laughed, “Yeah, too late, honey. That ship has sailed.”

“No!” 

“Yeah,” he chuckled, “But come on, Cary is your boy and that kid is sweet on you.”

“He isn’t! Don’t be awful,” she pouted.

“I’m not kidding,” he laughed. “I can prove it, you know?”

“Stop it,” she gave him a mock glare then started to laugh along with him. “Oh, Will...thank you for being here.”

“Of course,” he grinned. “I'm your best friend.”

Diane looked at him with brighter eyes, her melancholy lifting. She cuddled her baby close and said quietly, “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“Yeah, I don’t either,” he chuckled, looking up at her with a playful grin. “I was planing on coming even if you didn’t call. I missed you.”

She gave him a lovely smile, “I miss you too.”

He nodded then patted her gently on the knee and stood up, pushing himself off the ground. He placed a hand on her shoulder and gave her a look of concern, “You need to take breaks from the baby, Diane,” he said calmly. “You can’t lock yourself up in here with him all the time.”

“I know,” she said shakily, “The nanny sent me out a week ago. I admit...it was a relief but I just missed him,” she admitted quietly with a slight shake of her head. “I want to have a break...and I know I need it but all I do is think about him.”

She looked down at her son, her heart constricting as she looked her beautiful baby boy. She let out a sigh, “I got through working as a woman in a profession that was supposed to be just for men and worked ten times harder than any other associate with barely a break, Will. I got through my work even as I faced misogyny and discrimination on a daily basis, but this _infant_ is close to breaking me.”

Will laughed and leaned down to press a quick kiss to the top of her head and she stood up as well, cuddling her son against her chest and pressed a soft kiss on his head. He placed a hand on her lower back, rubbing gently at the tight muscles he could feel there. He remembered what she went through carrying Alex all those months and it always seemed to help when he put pressure in that area and gently massaged that specific spot.

“Diane,” he comforted earnestly, “You’re tired and you’re nervous...and you’re agitated. You’ve got a lot on your plate.” He looked at the now sleeping baby in her arms, “I think he’s is just testing you because he needs to know you’ll take care of him no matter what he puts you through. It’s what being a parent is all about. You just need to relax, hmm?”

“That’s just it,” she muttered, “I can’t. The crying hurts me, Will. It’s probably going to sound crazy but it’s a physical ache to hear him cry and being unable to fix it.” She shook her head, unable to tear her eyes away from her son, “I have this fear of failure hanging over my head...and I’m scared I’m doing everything wrong. Some say I should keep him in the crib, others say it would be best to keep him in bed with me but god I am so terrified I’ll roll over on him and kill him!”

“Diane,” he laughed lightly, “You are just overwhelmed. You need a break. Now, I’m here. I brought dinner. How about you...unwind a little, huh?” He reached over and took the baby from her arms, “I got you that pasta you love...go. Eat. If you don’t want to go out, find something to watch on TV. Or read. Listen to music...I don’t care. If you hear him crying, ignore it. I’ll take care of him. You need some time for yourself.”

He cradled Alex in the crook of his arm and placed a kiss on Diane’s temple then nudged her towards the door, “Go. Relax. Take a nap. This little guy and I are gonna have some guy time together.”

She furrowed her brow, pursing her lips.

“Consider the offer,” he said seriously. “We won’t leave the house. We’ll be here. Nothing bad will happen. But you need this...even just for a few hours.”

There was a sudden look of awe and relief on her face and Will smiled widely at that. She bent low and placed a soft kiss on her son’s forehead.

“You are a sweet man,” she whispered to him and pressed a kiss on his cheek as well.

Will grinned, “Yeah. You love me.”

“Thank you, Will,” Diane smiled gratefully at him then brushed the back of her fingers gently against her son’s apple cheek. “You be good to your Uncle Will, little mine.” 

She gave them both a sweet smile before leaving the room, stopping at the doorway for a moment for one last look before disappearing down the hall and out of sight. Relieved, Will sat back down on the rocker, smiling proudly at the little boy in his arms.

“That was pretty good, bud,” he cooed, “You did a good job. Now let’s let your mom get some rest, okay? You’ve got your Uncle Will and I’m gonna tell you exactly why Michael Jordan will always be the Greatest of All Time and one day I’m gonna take you to meet the man himself, hmm?”

The baby simply yawned and his godfather’s laughter filled the room.


	2. Stormtroopers and Dinosaurs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally published January 26, 2014.

Will Gardner winced as he heard a muffled thump from somewhere around his office and waited to see if it was going to be followed by another. When it wasn't, he continued on writing notes for his case, relieved and somewhat amused at the same time. The silence only stretched on for a while though as it was once more pierced, this time by a muffled giggle. He shook his head, unable to help grinning but did not stop what he was doing.

As long as the sound wasn't of glass breaking, he was fine.

He brushed the tip of his fingers over the side of his pad, ineffectively trying to get rid of a small stain from spilled grape juice earlier. It wasn't a big deal—it was just his notes anyway and it had been a pleasant lunch. Still, it would have been easier if it had been apple juice—the stain wouldn't have been as dark and noticeable.

"Peow! Peow! Peow!" 

Something jumped in the room and the source of the sudden noise was beside him in a flash, grabbing hold of his arm and tugging.

"Blast it! Peow! Peow! Peow!"

Blaster in hand and his tongue stuck between his teeth, the brave young Alex aimed at his enemies, firing off one shot after another. The young hero stood next to Will with a look of supreme concentration on his face, unwavering in his quest.

All the more willing to be distracted, Will tossed his pen aside, leaning back in his seat and watched the boy dive behind him. Grinning, he craned his neck to its limits, watching behind him as the squirming four- _almost-five_ -year-old crawled on his hands and knees on his carpet, DL-44 blaster in hand and stealthily evading his would-be captors.

He checked his watch and glanced at the office across the hall, noticing the lights were still off. Reaching for his phone and firing off a text message, Will looked behind him again, making sure the little boy wasn't underneath his chair anymore before rolling it back and standing.

"Pshhh! Zoom! Peow! Peow! Chewie! Get to the Millennium Falcon!" the shout came just as his head disappeared under the coffee table, the sounds of blaster shots and explosions erupting from him fairly accurate. His butt wiggled as he pushed himself under the protective shade of the wooden piece of furniture.

"Evade! Evade! Peow! Peow!" the bellow came just as Alex came shooting up from beneath the table. He scrambled up the leather couch, still on all fours and his blaster firing away. He almost lost his traction and didn't make it up, blaster smacking against the leather with the flail.

"Hey, careful there, squirt," Will said, walking around his desk and took the visitor's seat on its other side, settling himself comfortably and watched the little boy play. The day was coming at an end and he believed wholly he deserved the break.

Finally up on the couch, Alex grabbed the Chewbacca doll he had left there and placed it on his side, squeezing it between him and the back of the couch. He put his blaster down and looked around, shoulders hunched as he imitated more blaster shots.

"Hyperspace!" he bellowed, little hands gripping the armrest of the couch—the main controls of the Falcon—as he sat facing it, "Pssshww!"

Will smirked, cocking his eyebrows at the boy and his couch-turned-spaceship, "Chewie finally fixed the hyperdrive, Captain?"

"Uh-huh!" the boy looked at him proudly then flipped over on the couch on his stomach, easing himself off his seat, "Jumped to light speed!"

Amused by the child's antics, Will sat back, allowing himself to decompress. It had been a long day and it was nice to have the Captain and Chewbacca bring him some relief. There weren't a lot of things that could make him relax as quickly but somehow the little ball of energy seemed to accomplish doing so anyway without even trying.

"Whew," the Captain slumped back in his 'spaceship' then looked around, breath coming out in exaggerated puffs. He paused, turning his soft blue-gray eyes on Will, "Mommy?"

"She'll be here soon," he said then pointed in the general direction of the area he was occupying, "Watch out for Boba Fett."

A gasp then a vigorous nod and the child dropped himself on his stomach with alarming speed though the thump wasn't nearly as loud as the one from before. Losing himself in his own world once more, Alex began crawling towards the coffee table again. It seemed to be his favorite spot in the office for the day.

Phone buzzing, Will grabbed his phone and read the text, nodding absently before returning it on his desk. He almost told the boy his mother was coming but decided against it. She'd come either way and as long as the kid was contented in Will's office, he was fine.

Another thump, this time louder—the loudest—then it was followed by a thud and Will's head shot up, eyes narrowed. The kid was on his side and it was easy to guess that he'd fallen from the top of the couch. Will didn't have to wonder how he got up there so fast. He'd seen the toddler pull more mind-boggling moves in the past.

"You alright, little man?" he'd also been around the kid enough to know that sounding calm in such cases was important. Being hysterical would just prompt the kid into hysterics, even when it wasn't needed. Kids reacted to adults more often than not.

He rolled to the side and got up on his knees, touching the side of his head and declared, "Injured! Need bacta tank."

"That's what you get climbing things you shouldn't be climbing," Will grinned, "And we're out of bacta. We used it all up in the Tatooine crash."

And the living proof of the fact was the pile of misplaced bath towels from his private washroom. The little monster had pulled all the clean ones out, draping them on a couple of cushions he rested against the wall and crawled into it for bacta immersion. Will tried getting the kid to leave his bathroom alone but eventually gave up—he'd learned many a moon ago to pick his battles.

"Bah!" unaffected, he dived under the coffee table again and pulled out the pastry basket he'd left there. He placed it on top of dark mop of hair and beamed proudly, "Safe! No mo'injury!"

Will grinned, "Nice."

The boy had spent the earlier part of his afternoon lamenting the fact that he'd left his helmet at home, stressing that without it meant more injuries during the day's progression. Will had tried to tell him to just be careful, but Alex simply darted out of the room at top speed. It was then that Will let a few minutes pass—though he did inform his assistant to alert people in the vicinity they had a munchkin on the loose—before he followed.

Will found him in the break room with the other assistants on break, telling them all about his helmet and why it was so important. He caught him just in time as he grabbed the basket on the serving table, asking the women if he could _please_ borrow it so he would be 'safe from mo' injury'. Predictably, none of them protested and simply cooed at him, letting him get away with the theft.

Will shook his head them, smirking at the whole situation. He knew it wasn't just because of who the boy's mother was that people—mostly the women—in the office let the little ankle biter get away with everything. He was too damned cute for his own good. And he was getting real good with the ladies, it looked. Will liked to take credit for that, of course.

Deciding it was better to let the ever resourceful child take comfort in having a temporary replacement, he returned to his office before the boy could spot him. Alex had burst into his office with a loud _ta-da!_ and was quite visibly pleased when he walked in wearing the basket on his head.

Once more contented with the extra protection, the boy began to move towards his spaceship once more, jostling the makeshift helmet on his head. He dived for his blaster as explosions erupted once more. He grabbed his Chewbacca doll and scrambled right back underneath the coffee table, "Star Destroyers! Imperials alert! Imperials alert! Peow! Peow!"

He tucked his co-pilot under the table before beginning to crawl out of the space, "Cover me!"

Making an impressive tuck and roll across the office, Will watched the kid get to his feet quickly and began firing at the imperials only he could see. He ran to the middle of the room and began running in circles, screaming like Han Solo in between blaster shots and maintaining a steady circular path.

What he was planning on accomplishing in running in circles, Will had no idea and didn't bother asking. The chance of getting an answer that might actually make sense were pretty slim—he had also figured out a while back that kids were just weird.

"You're going to get dizzy," Will cautioned, "then you're really gonna fall and injure yourself."

"Ion cannons! Fire! Brrshw! Pshw! Pshw! Attack! Attack! Attack!" he made one last turn and took the opposite way on the next pass.

"Watch ou—" Will was cut off by the little boy crashing against his knees, plopping himself across his lap with a loud, infectious laugh then a shriek. "Whoa! Easy there."

The boy shifted, grabbing him around the knees, the black blaster pressing against the side of his leg. Will ruffled his hair, "You okay, bud?"

"Spinning," Alex's reply was muffled then followed by a giggle.  
He calmed down and Will somehow knew this was a fake out. He didn't believe for one second his endless supply of energy had been so easily depleted. He waited for the second—fifth?—wind to come and sweep the boy away into another bout with the Imperials.

But Alex stayed there, occasionally a sound would come from him but he simply stayed there, draped across his lap. Will raised his eyebrows slightly, "You alright, bud?"

"Mhmm…dinosaur," he muttered against him, "Rawrr."

"I thought you were Han Solo."

"Uh-uh, dinosaur! Big teeth!" he declared, head shooting up to bar his teeth at Will, "Dinosaur hungry! Rawrrr! Chomp! Chomp!"

Will barely had time to react, realizing too late what was coming. He very nearly didn't manage to stop the curse that erupted from his lips as he felt the little teeth suddenly sink into the fabric of his pants and the flesh of his leg, just above the knees. The kid's teeth were still little but couple that with the clamping jaw, the bite was painful enough to take his breath away with a choke.

"Jesus," he groaned, grabbing the kid under his arms and hoisted him up and over his lap. He winced as he settled the toddler against him and gave him a stern look, "Alex, what did we talk about biting?"

Big round eyes blinked at him, bluish-gray so like his mother's, and simply stared. He was put out that his game had been interrupted and a mutinous expression began to appear on his face. His bottom lip jutted out a little, looking angry. He made a _grrr_ sound at Will as he tried to scramble off of his lap, kicking his little classic black sneakers.

"Hey," Will stopped him, " _What_ did we talked about biting?"

"No biting," came a begrudging mutter, "Dinosaur bite. Dinosaur hungry. Imma dinosaur."

"If you're hungry, I'll feed you, but you do _not_ bite," Will said sternly—he hated being stern with the kid but it had to be done or else he'd be paying for it for a long time. And god knew the there was only so much savage toddler-teeth he could take, "Are you really hungry?"

"No!" came the stubborn reply though he was pretty sure it was mostly because saying _no_ was the only way the kid knew how to rebel and show displeasure—for now. He barred his teeth at Will again, chomping and growling at him.

"Hey," he began, his voice firm, "I'm not kidding. No more biting."

"Alexander James Lockhart, have you been biting people _again_?"

Both males looked up, surprised to find the doors open and found themselves with an audience of one in the form of a somewhat miffed female.

The little boy let out a high pitched shriek and scrambled off of Will's lap. He landed on his knees though he paid them no heed, far too excited to finally see his mother. He ran towards her, launching himself at her without warning.

Diane Lockhart only managed to hand off her things to her assistant before the little tyke collided against her legs, clamping his chubby arms around her legs. Too impatient to wait, Alex began pulling himself up, basically climbing on his mother until she picked him up and hoisted him up into her arms.

His mother laughed and wore a bright smile on her face and she hugged him tightly, kissing him on the forehead lovingly and cuddled him close.

"Hello, little mine," she cooed.

"Mommy," he wrapped his arms around her neck, his legs around her torso like a clinging spider.

Will stood up, smiling, "Hey."

"You guys look like you've been busy," Diane looked around the room, noting Will's busy desk and his sitting area where it looked as if her son's toys exploded.

The little boy gave her a toothy grin as he moved his head up to face her, "Played Star Wars! We 'scaped from Stormtroopers! Chewie fixed hyperdrive!"

Diane's eyebrows shot up, "My, my! It sounds like you had quite an adventure!"

"Uh-huh! Paid Jabba…wasn't happy," he shook his head. "Then we went to Corellia."

She smiled, "Well, you've been one busy little smuggler, haven't you, Captain?"

"Yeah!" Alex nodded eagerly, "Millennium Falcon all fixed!"

Diane chuckled, shifting him in her arms slightly, "What else did you do today?"

"Spilled juice on Uncle Will's papers," Alex informed his mother solemnly.

His mother looked at his 'Uncle Will' who merely shrugged, "Just notes."

"Didn't we talk about being more careful around the office? Diane reminded the boy.

"'Twas a accident," he mumbled, hiding his face into her shoulder, "I 'pologized."

" _An_ accident," Diane corrected gently, "And it's very good that you apologized but you have to be careful, Alex. There are a lot of important things here in the office, things that Mommy and Uncle Will need for work. Do you understand?"

"Uh-huh," but the boy kept his face hidden. "Work stuff."

"Yes…now, what's this about biting? Did you bite Uncle Will again?"

He barred his teeth, "Dinosaur!"

Nobody needed to ask if the boy thought that was an acceptable enough explanation. Will watched in silence, very much amused as a look of dismay appeared on Diane's face.

"Not all dinosaurs bite and you know it," she told her son. "And dinosaur or not, no biting, alright Alex? Especially not Uncle Will. It _hurts_. Do you know that? You don't like getting hurt, right?"

"Hurt?" he looked curious by the new information.

"Yes, it _hurts_ ," Diane emphasized the word, "Do you remember when you fell off the monkey bars? Your arm hurt and you cried. Like that, Alex. It hurts Uncle Will when you bite him."

Alex looked alarmed, turning towards his Uncle Will who was still standing by the chair. Then he looked at his mother who simply nodded at him.

"Down! Down!" he squirmed out of his mother's arms, prompting her to put him down and he raced towards Will. He reached out without any hesitation, patting his knee where he bit him in a way he figured would be comforting and looked up at Will with big round eyes.

"I'm sorry, Uncle Will," he said, eyes solemn and he leaned forward to place a kiss where he hurt him just like his mother does with him whenever he got a booboo, "No mo' biting. Sorry."

Will smiled easily and picked him up, blowing a raspberry on his neck, eliciting a delighted laugh from the boy, "It's alright, little man. Apology accepted."

Alex gave him a tight hug that only four-year-olds knew how to give before worming his way out of his arms once more and returned to his mother. He wrapped his arms around her knees, looking up at her.

Diane smiled, ruffling his hair and winked at him, "That was very sweet, little monkey. Now, why don't you gather your things and we can leave, hm?"

Happy to have righted a wrong, Alex scampered off to do as he was told. Watching him for a moment, Diane then shared a smile with Will, shaking her head slightly and he made his way towards her.

"Long day?" he asked quietly.

"Yep," she nodded, glancing at her son as she leaned against the doorjamb, "But we had a good day. Let's hope good fortune holds for the meantime."

"Still nothing from Kalinda?" he frowned.

"None," she shook her head, "Have you talked to her about getting another investigator?"

Will frowned, "Not yet."

"Please do it soon," she said, "David called me about it as well this morning. She's good, Will, but she can't be in ten places at once—in this case, ten cases at once so give her seniority, give her what she wants and let it be done. It's not as if the money is an issue anymore. The firm's growing…fast and we need a hand."

He nodded, "I'll talk to her. Tomorrow."

"Thank y—"

"Finished!" came the happy bellow from inside the room and Alex stood there with his favorite blue backpack, crammed with toys and Chewbacca clutched in his hands. On Will's coffee table was the basket he had borrowed from the break room.

Diane smiled as he slipped his little hand in hers, "Alright, little monkey."

Alex raised his hand, "Five!"

She chuckled and responded her son's request for a high five. She straightened up and smiled at Will gratefully, "Thanks for watching him. And for teaching him that."

"No problem," he ruffled the boy's hair, "I love hanging out with my main boy. And that was something he figured out all on his on!"

"My little genius," Diane crooned at her son.

"Rawr," Alex playfully growled at Will then looked up at his mother, "Hungry."

She smiled indulgently at him, "Alright. Mommy's hungry too. What do you want to eat?"

"Chewie hungry too!" he waved his doll at her.

"Okay, what does Chewie want to eat?"

"Mac'n'cheese!" Alex replied happily, "Ice cream! Smashed 'tatoes!"

"What? I thought Chewbacca liked to eat carrots and broccoli."

"Noooo!"

Will grinned at Alex's protestations and declarations that they were 'yucky' and proceeded to defend his beloved 'smashed tatoes'. He moved quickly back to his desk and grabbed the empty sippy cup he had initially forgotten to use earlier in the day that led to the spilled grape juice. He turned only to catch Alex bolt to his mother's office, his backpack bouncing behind him and Diane watched him go with a soft smile on her face.

"He's a livewire, isn't he?"

"That he is," the obvious love on Diane's face was undeniable, "Thanks again for watching him…I know it was so short notice but the sitter just got sick suddenly and I was stuck in court."

"Hey, like I said, no problem," he said, shrugging, "I mean it—I like having him around. He certainly makes better company that a lot of other people in this place. Besides, his presence just makes the day seem like it's going faster, you know?"

"That I do," she nodded, watching her son as he bounced around her office then shook her head, "I better take him home. The rate he's going…he's heading for a crash soon and I'm hoping we get dinner and bath time out of the way before that happens."

He handed her the sippy cup, "Have a safe drive home."

"You too," she smiled, "See you, Uncle Will."

Will chuckled, watching her walk away and head towards her office. He grinned as he observed them, absolutely amused as Alex launched himself at his mother once more and she caught him easily, smothering him with kisses and making him laugh and squirm in her arms.

Sometimes, it was hard to believe it'd only been five years.

Alexander James Lockhart wasn't exactly part of Diane's plan when he came along. Truth was, he was _never_ part of his mother's plan or anyone else's. But seeing how much joy the boy was bringing not only in her life but in everyone's around him, it was safe to say he was a deviation that they were more than glad to have had. It was undeniable that he was a great kid and Diane was doing a marvelous job with him so far.

Sure, Will hadn't been particularly thrilled when Diane came into his office all those years ago, telling him she needed to take a break soon—specifically, go on maternity leave. He'd been floored, of course, as were a lot of people and nobody had even been aware she'd been seeing anyone serious, at least, not serious enough to start a family with. In fact, nobody had even imagined Diane Lockhart was ever going to start a family.

The firm had always been her life and _that_ was her baby.

It had been the last thing Will wanted, losing Diane when they'd just been getting back on track after Jonas Stern's retirement, which came shortly after he was diagnosed. Will found himself losing both partners nearly at the same time. And while Stern at that point had been partner in name only, it was a heavier blow having Diane tell him suddenly of her condition. He'd had to learn the ropes when it came to things that she was in charge of and, on top of that, learn to run the firm by himself. It had been harrowing for a while but she'd been a good teacher, managing to whip him up into shape before she had to really, really leave when she was put on bed rest.

Will learned though and it had been difficult but worth it. He now ran the firm in equal parts with Diane, able to take the reins when she had to step back. Usually, it was mostly due to Alex for it was only Alex that came before the firm. Diane was grateful too, knowing she could count on Will and not worry leaving him on his own. It was a better partnership now and they were celebrating the high tide that the firm was currently enjoying.

Many people questioned the paternity of Diane Lockhart's child. She was unmarried and the question of who fathered her offspring was one of the best kept secrets of Chicago. People suspected a lot of things—from lawyers and friends she knew and palled around with to various other more obscure sources that were sometimes mind boggling. Even Will was still a 'suspect'—mostly because of the boy's dark hair and the fact that he spent a lot of time with him.

It did not help matters that Diane kept a lid on the subject and never spoke of it. There were, at most, only a handful of people who knew the truth and Will was one of them.

And the coveted truth was? Turkey baster. Diane had had a client who ran a practice and specialized in in vitro fertilization. She had saved their practice from the medical board and in an odd turn of events, the client had offered her a chance at in vitro. Diane had laughed and begged off the offer.

But even after all these years, Will still did not have a straight answer from Diane regarding why she somehow relented and went back. Somehow, in the end she ended up changing her mind and took the offer. The most she could tell him was that she decided to try it once and see what happened. She didn't actually think anything would come out of it. She'd heard enough of people trying again and again, sometimes actually ending up with a child or two or never at all.

It was very simple for her—if the procedure didn't take, that was it and Diane was going to walk away. It was, if one could believe it, a whim—if she was ever capable of any. At the time, her main reasoning had been that in vitro and actually _attempting_ to have a child was one thing she could at least say she'd tried and not have to wonder about down the road.

She had prepared herself for it never taking, which had been a great possibility considering her age and every other variable in the process. Diane knew her chances of conceiving were slim to none—she wasn't kidding herself. She was prepared to deal with the final acceptance that she really was never going to have a child of her own, never start a family. Not that she'd ever actually had the desperate desire to but at least it would have had some kind of closure. An answer to the 'what if' that may or may not come.

Diane was prepared and even had a bottle of bourbon ready for it. What she hadn't prepared herself for, however, was the possibility the procedure _actually_ taking. She hadn't even _considered_ it a possibility. After all, she'd entered her forties already. She was _done_.

But then, the un-thought of happened.

The procedure took on the first and only try.

Having a child suddenly became more than a possibility—it became _real_.

And _everything_ changed.

Nothing had ever been the same again. Diane changed, so did Will and the firm followed. It wasn't just a small change—everything simply went into a complete disarray like something exploded and it all fell back into different patterns, different ways. And they were still changing.

As Alex grew up, changes followed and while Will hadn't been happy in the beginning, he could certainly say he was now. He couldn't imagine what it took Diane to take such a leap but he was glad she did now. Alex made such a difference in their lives and it happened in the most amazing ways. He was a great kid, a wonderful boy and Diane was not at all selfish when it came to him. Alex didn't have an actual dad, but he certainly had enough 'uncles' around the firm to keep him amused.

"Bye Uncle Will!"

The cheerful bellow was loud and it was heard throughout the immediate area and Will grinned at the boy. Alex was holding on to his mother's hand, waving at him happily.

"See you around, punk," he waved back lightly, winking at Alex who gave him one last playful growl, waving Chewie in his direction one last time as they turned the corner.

Will liked to think he was Alex's number one—even though Diane had a brother who was the real uncle—and he could just as well be. He knew Alex best and he spent the most time with him. He wasn't a particular fan of kids and mostly tolerated them but Alex was different. Ask Will why and he wouldn't know what to say except— _he's Alex._

And it was just as simple as that.


End file.
